The present invention relates to orthopaedic braces and, more particularly, to an orthopaedic brace having a cuff formed as a single piece from bendable sheet material.
When a joint has been weakened by injury or other infirmity, orthopaedic braces often are used to stabilize and protect the joint during the rehabilitation process. A typical brace comprises a number of rigid structural components dynamically linked together by hinges, such that the axes of the hinges align with the joint being stabilized. The rigid structural components are secured to the body of the wearer above and below the joint by flexible straps to support and protect the joint when the wearer is active.
By way of example, when the knee is injured, a knee brace can be used to stabilize the knee joint which connects the upper leg (i.e., the femur) and the lower leg (i.e., the tibia). Typical knee braces comprise an upper leg cuff that generally conforms to the shape of the upper leg above the knee joint and a lower leg cuff which generally conforms to the shape of the lower leg below the knee joint. The upper and lower leg cuffs are dynamically connected to each other by hinges in alignment with the knee joint.
The upper and lower leg cuffs of the knee brace usually are of a three-piece construction, comprising a center band which conforms to the leg of the wearer, and two elongated bars connected to the ends of the center band. The bars extend away from the center band in a common direction toward the knee joint, where they terminate in a toothed configuration forming a part of the hinge. The cuffs generally are constructed from metal which preferably is coated with a rubber-like covering. The rubber-like covering is designed to protect the wearer and others from exposed metal parts on the brace which could cause injury, for example, during an athletic event.
Problems have existed in the past regarding orthopaedic braces, such as knee braces having a three-piece construction of the type described above. For example, the ends of the bars are usually joined to the ends of the center band by rivets inserted through aligned holes in the overlapping portions of the center band and bars. Since the bars and center band are each coated with a rubber-like material prior to assembly in overlapping relation by the rivets, the rubber-like coating adds to the overall thickness of the cuff in the area where the center band is riveted to the bars. Because the connection between the bars and center band is not a metal-to-metal connection, the cuff is susceptible to being weakened, and sometimes loosened, in the area of the riveted connection.
Another drawback of the three-piece orthopaedic brace is attributable to the labor costs that are associated with the multiple manufacturing steps that must be taken to assemble each cuff. First, the center band and bars must be fabricated and thereafter separately coated with the rubber-like covering. After the rubber-like covering has been applied, the ends of the bars are connected to the center band by the rivets, followed by bending of the center band to conform to the leg of the wearer. All of these separate fabrication and assembly steps add to the overall cost of the brace.
Further, the construction of orthopaedic braces having cuffs of this type are not conducive to a lightweight brace. It also is difficult to produce an orthopaedic brace having a streamlined appearance, due to the rivets and bulk produced from the overlapping components.
Accordingly, there has existed a definite need for an orthopaedic brace cuff which eliminates the use of rivets, which is more streamlined in appearance, which can be constructed using a reduced amount of labor without sacrificing structural integrity, and which is as lightweight as possible. The present invention satisfies these and other needs, and provides further related advantages.